President Trump: I Don’t Understand ‘Free Melania’ Hashtag — She’s Having A Great Time
President Donald Trump spoke about first lady Melania Trump during the annual dinner held at the Gridiron Club on Saturday night. As reported by the Washington Post, Trump received a mixed bag of reviews after the dinner was over, after touching on subjects as varied as the media to his own wife.
According to Hunter Walker, a White House Correspondent with Yahoo News, the Gridiron transcript featured Trump opening his speech with remarks that noted how much he and Melania were looking forward to the dinner, with Trump calling it an honor.
“Melania and I are really thrilled.”
After a few jokes, Trump quipped that it bothered him that Vice President Mike Pence followed the news so closely, asking about Trump’s potential impeachment. When the joke fell flat, Trump turned the topic to Melania, saying she urged him to use the joke that he was doubtful about, but Melania called “good.”
“But lately what bothers me, I have to tell you, he’s showing a particularly keen interest in the news these days. He starts out each morning asking everybody, ‘Has he been impeached yet?’ You can’t be impeached when there’s no crime! Mike, put that down! I thought that was going to get a much better… I said to Melania, ‘Do you think I should use that one?’ I don’t know. And then she said, ‘Use it. It’s good.’ So much for humor. You never know about humor do you.”
Trump moved on to joke about everyone from Steve Mnuchin to Attorney General Sessions to “the failing New York Times,” before returning to the topic of Melania once more.
“Now the question everyone keeps asking is, ‘Who’s going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania?’… That is terrible honey, but you love me, right?… I won’t tell you what she said…. She said, ‘Behave’…. Is that terrible?”
Trump went on to call Melania “an incredible first lady” and named several states that included so many women in their audiences with signs that spoke of how much people love Melania. Trump said “hundreds and hundreds” of women during speeches supported Melania’s fashion choices with signs that read, “We love high heels.” Some signs even had pictures of shoes. Trump once again brought up the grief some members of the public gave Melania for wearing high heels en route to a storm-ravaged Texas region. Trump said she had the sneakers in her bag.
Trump also noted that his proposed tax plan would benefit Melania, joking about their age difference.
“Melania is even getting some major benefits from it. She can finally claim me as an adult dependent.”
Trump noted that he didn’t understand the popularity surrounding the “Free Melania” hashtag that went viral on his Inauguration Day.
“And I just don’t understand why everyone on the internet and in the media keeps screaming, Hashtag Free Melania. Free Melania…. Like a number one hashtag. Free Melania. She’s actually having a great time. Yes, are you? Oh, good, she’s having a great time. You’re doing a good job. You know, you can’t do a great job unless you enjoy it. It’s true. You people know that as great reporters. You love what you do, and if you didn’t love what you do, you wouldn’t do it well.”
Trump had additional compliments for the press before closing out his speech, which included talk of puffing on a “peace pipe” with the North Koreans, as reported by Business Insider, as well as his “Free Melania” observation. Trump also joked about Jared Kushner’s security level, as reported by the New York Post.
